Carrozza, also called mozzarella in carrozza, is a typical sandwich of Italian cuisine made with fried mozzarella.
Origin of mozzarella in carrozza
“In carrozza” means “in a carriage” in Italian, so mozzarella in carrozza translates to “mozzarella in a carriage”.
Two interesting tales surround the origin of the name of the dish. Since the strands of the pulled cheese resemble the reins of a horse-drawn carriage, it could have been named carrozza.
The second theory is that the bread was cut into circular discs, and the cheese was sandwiched between two round slices of bread. The final shape looked like the wheels of a carriage and hence the moniker, mozzarella in carrozza.
This fried cheese sandwich is a cross between savory French toasts and a grilled cheese sandwich.
This dish has humble origins in the Neapolitan region of Italy. In the early 19th century, the peasants who could not afford fresh food everyday made use of leftover mozzarella cheese and stale bread as deep-fried sandwiches in the most creative way.
Mozzarella in carrozza is relished throughout Italy as a popular street food with slight variations to the original recipe depending on the region.
The Venetian variation uses fresh bread instead of stale, and a flour and egg batter leavened with yeast to fry these sandwiches. They are served in the bàcari (local bars) as cicchetti. The carrozze are in rectangular shapes, and anchovy, or a slice of cooked ham, is usually added with the cheese.
How to make mozzarella in carrozza
The preparation of carrozza is fairly simple, with minimal ingredients. But care must be taken while frying as the bread might fall apart or the cheese might disintegrate. To avoid this, do not overstuff the sandwich with cheese.
Using the right kind of bread and preparing the cheese before filling helps. Use good quality bread.
Preparing the mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella has high moisture content, hence it can easily disintegrate while frying. The first step is to make sure the cheese slices are dry. There are a couple of ways to do this. Slice the cheese and blot on a paper towel, or refrigerate the slices overnight so that the excess moisture is dried out.
For quick results, use low moisture mozzarella like fior di latte, which is made from cow’s milk. Or packaged cheese available in grocery stores.
Any mozzarella sold outside Italy is always made from cow’s milk unless specified otherwise.
While the traditional Neapolitan version uses only mozzarella di bufala, it’s fine to use fior di latte if that is what is available.
Olive Oil for frying
Carrozze are best fried in olive oil, thus giving them a unique flavour but any neutral cooking oil, like sunflower oil, may be substituted.
Serving Suggestions
Serve mozzarella in carrozza warm as an appetizer or snack. It is eaten as is or with marinara or a tomato sauce.
Fried cheese recipes around the world
Ever since mozzarella was mass-produced and available outside Italy, deep frying this cheese has become common.
The first documentation of frying cheese is in a Medieval French cookbook, “Le Ménagier de Paris.”
Mozzarella fritta, fried cheese without the outer layer of bread, is very popular throughout Italy. Fresh mozzarella is dipped in breadcrumbs and then fried. Similarly, Americans enjoy mozzarella sticks.
Latin Americans have queso frito, where fresh cheese is sliced lengthwise and pan-fried.
The Swiss make delicious fondue fritters known as malakoff, in the form of dome-shaped deep-fried cheese. Stiff cheese, like gruyere, is piled on top of bread forming a dome shape and then deep-fried.
The Dutch make a fried cheese snack pastry named kaassoufflé. Kaassoufflé means “cheese souffle”. The cheese is placed in between pastry sheets and then deep-fried.
Czechs make smažený sýr (“fried cheese”), which is very similar to mozzarella in carrozza. Thick slices of Edam or Emmental are coated in batter and then deep-fried or pan-fried.
This recipe is validated by our Italian culinary expert, Benny the Chef. Chef Benny is an Italian chef, culinary teacher, awards winner, entertainer, and the author of “The Art of Cooking According to Me”.
Mozzarella in Carrozza
Ingredients
- 12 large slices white sandwich bread
- 20 oz. mozzarella
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup flour , sifted
- 10 oz. breadcrumbs
- Sunflower oil (for frying)
Instructions
Sandwiches
- Cut the mozzarella into ½ inch (1 cm) thick slices and place onto a baking sheet lined with a paper towel.
- Cover the slices with more paper towels.
- Gently press down on the mozzarella to remove excess water.
- If necessary, change the paper towels until the cheese is completely dry.
- Arrange the slices of sandwich bread on a large cutting board, and place the mozzarella slices on top, so as to cover the entire surface, but without overlapping.
- Season with salt and place another slice of bread on top.
- Press down gently with both hands to compact the sandwiches.
- Remove the crusts with a sharp knife.
- At this point, it is possible to cut the sandwiches in two different ways:- Cut crosswise to make 4 squares- Cut diagonally to make 4 triangles
Breadcrumbs
- Break the eggs into a dish and beat vigorously with a whisk for a minute or so.
- Place the breadcrumbs into a separate dish, and the flour into another dish.
- Dip each sandwich first in the flour and then, using 2 forks, into the egg to cover completely.
- Hold the sandwiches over the egg dish for a few seconds to drain any excess.
- Place the sandwiches into the dish with the breadcrumbs, and make sure that both sides are evenly coated.
- Transfer to a cutting board and, with the blade of a large knife, press lightly on the edges and the surface to even out the breadcrumbs, and obtain a uniform shape.
- If necessary, dip in the breadcrumbs and press again with the blade of the knife.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up.
- Once the mozzarella has firmed up, bread the sandwiches a second time, following the instructions as before.
- Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
Frying
- Pour a large quantity of sunflower oil into a pan and bring it to a maximum temperature of 350 F (175°C), over medium heat.
- Submerge a few sandwiches at a time in hot oil, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally with a large slotted spoon.
- When the mozzarella in carrozza are golden, drain and transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to remove the excess oil.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Sources
Wikipedia – Carrozza
Wikipedia – Fried Cheese
Nisha, born and raised in South India currently lives in Munich. She blogs at The Magic Saucepan, her personal creative space, focusing on traditional South Indian vegetarian food.
Torin says
This sandwich made with fried mozzarella are amazing!
Alice Haddad says
I didn’t see the use of capers and lemon wine sauce.
Hands Doing Things says
Hey Alice! This recipe does not call for capers nor lemon wine sauce. Maybe you’re talking about another one? Let us know so we can help!